Method and apparatus for removing liquids from glass plates



E. BREYER 2,943,968 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING LIQUIDS FROM GLASSPLATES Filed July 25, 1956 Aug. 16, 1960 4a M a,

MOKMEIG.

Patented Aug. 16, li ht) METHOD AND APPATUS FOR REMOVENG LIQUIDS FROMGLASS PLATES Eberhard Breyer, Gartrlngen, Germany, assignor, by mesneassignments, to Firma Beka Lufttechnik G.m. b.H., Bielefeld, Germany, acompany of Germany Filed July 25, 1956, Ser. No. 600,027

Claims priority, application Germany Aug. 1, 1955 8 Claims. (Cl. 34-156) The present invention relates to a new method and apparatus forremoving liquids, and particularly water, from non-hygroscopic productsand sheet material, particularly glass plates, which have asubstantially level surface and limited length.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple andinexpensive method and apparatus for drying such products after theyhave been washed or treated with a liquid, and for carrying out suchdrying process very quickly and eflfectively.

Essentially, this new method consists in blowing off the liquid adheringto the surface of the products to be dried by means of One or more aircurrents which may be of room or increased temperature and have a forcestronger than the adhesive power of the liquid at the surface of theproducts. Thus, the air current or currents used for blowing oif theliquid should have a high velocity of at least m./sec. and preferablyone of about 70 to 120 m./sec.

The apparatus for carrying out the method according to the invention mayconsist, for example, of at least two steed rollers for feeding theglass plates, each of which is mounted in or surrounded by the nozzlemouth of a blast-pressure tank from which at least one nozzle isdirected toward the plane of travel of the glass plates or other sheetmaterial for thus blowing a gas or air current directly against theplates. If only one nozzle is provided at one side of theplane of travelof the plates, such nozzle is preferably mounted in a direction verticalto the plane of travel. If, however, several nozzles are provided on oneblast-pressure tank, they are preferably mounted so that at least one ofthem blows the gas or air current at an oblique angle against the sheetmaterial to be dried, preferably at an angle of about 10 to relative toa plane vertical to the plane of travel of the material.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, two pairs of feed rollersare mounted at opposite sides of the plane of travel of the plates to bedried, and at a small distance from each other. The feed rollers aremounted symmetrically relative to the sheet material and each pair issurrounded by a blast-pressure tank from which a nozzle is directed uponthe material either in front of or behind the feed rollers. Both theupper and lower blast-pressure tanks together are connected to a singlehigh-pressure fan or blower through a channel in which a baflie ispreferably provided for regulating the distribution of air to the upperand lower blast-pressure tanks and the nozzles thereof.

A further modification of the apparatus according to the invention,particularly for the purpose of blowing the liquid oii the front andrear edges of the sheet material consists in providing the pairs ofnozzles at the upper and lower sides of the material at an offsetrelation to each other so that, as seen in the direction of travel, thefirst nozzle for blowing the liquid oil the upper side of the materialis disposed above the second nozzle for blowing the liquid off the lowerside.

Particularly for washing apparatus which are provided with a dryingapparatus according to the invention, the latter proposes that the firstnozzle be mounted at the lower side of the plane of travel for blowingthe washing fluid from the front edge of the material, and the secondnozzle at the upper side for blowing the washing fluid off the rear edgeof the material, and in such a manner that the air currents from eithernozzle will not be affected by any opposed air currents.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the nozzles forblowing the washing fluid off the lower side of the material arepreferably disposed at an angle of about 20 from the vertical in adirection opposite to the direction of travel. The first nozzle forblowing the washing fluid oii the upper side of the material maylikewise be inclined at an angle of about 20 to the vertical opposite tothe direction of travel of the material.

The second nozzle for blowing the washing fluid oil the upper side ofthe material may preferably also be inclined at an angle of about 20 tothe vertical, but in the direction of travel so as to be most effectiveupon the washing fluid at the rear edge of the material.

Still another feature of the invention consists in pro viding the firstnozzle for blowing the washing fluid off the upper side of the materialwith a nozzle opening of a width twice as large as that of the othernozzles so that this nozzle alone will blow the same quantity of air asis blown through both nozzles at the lower side.

Furthermore, the nozzles at each side of the plane of travel of thesheet material to be dried are preferably spaced from each other at adistance corresponding to approximately twice the diameterof the feedrollers.

As will appear from the drawings referred to hereinafter, thetermination or discharge apertures of the nozzles are positioned inclose spaced relationship to the surface of the plates passing throughthe liquid-removing apparatus.

Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent from the following detailed description thereof,particularly when read with reference to the accompanying drawings ofone preferred embodiment of the invention, in which- Fig. 1diagrammatically shows the new drying apparatus in connection with awashing apparatus, while Fig. 2 shows an enlarged detail view of thenozzle arrangement of the new apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a washing apparatus 1 in whichglass plates are sprayed with water or other washing fluid by nozzles 2.At the end of washing apparatus 1, the new drying apparatus is mountedfor removing all the water orfluid from the glass plates which stilladheres thereto from the washing operation. This apparatus essentiallyconsists ofa pair of opposite airblast tanks 3 and 4 which terminate innozzles 5, ti and 7, 8, respectively, and are supplied with compressedair through a channel- 9 from a suitable blower, not shown.

Asshown particularly in Fig. 2,- air-blast tank 3 with nozzles 5 and 6is mounted at the lower side 10 of the plane of travel of glass plate 11for blowing the water or washing fluid therefrom, while air-blast tank 4with nozzles 7 and S is mounted at' the upper side 12 of glass plate 11for blowing the water or washing fluid off that side. The second nozzle6 of air-blast tank 3 is disposed directly opposite to the first nozzle7 of air-blast tank 4, and both nozzles 5 and 6 at the lower side areinclined at an angle of approximately 20 to the vertical in a directionopposite to the direction of travel 13 of glass plate 11. Nozzle 7 atthe other side is similarly inclined, while nozzle 8 is inclined at anangle of approximately 20 in the opposite direction, that is, in thedirection of travel. While nozzles 5, 6 and 8 have substantially thesame width d, nozzle 7 is preferably made twice as wide, as

shown at D. The ends of nozzles 6 and 7 are preferably provided withguide plates 14, 15, and 16, 17, respectively, extending horizontally inthe opposite directions to each other, that is, parallel to glass plate11.

If the glass plates to be dried are of sufficient weight,

the feed rollers need only be provided at the lower side thereof, asshown in Fig. 1, so that the feeding is then carried out by the gravityof the plates and the friction of the rotating feed rollers on the lowersurface of the plates. However, as shown in Fig. 2, the feed rollers arepreferably disposed in pairs vertically above each other so as to exertthe proper feeding pressure from opposite sides upon glass plate 11.According to the invention, the air-blast tanks 3 and 4 are ofbifurcated shape, the two arms thereof forming the nozzles 5, 6 and 7,8, respectively, while the space intermediate the nozzles on each sidethereof is utilized for mounting the rollers 18. These rollers arepreferably mounted on air-blast tanks 3 and 4 or vice-versa, so as toserve as guides for insuring that nozzles 5, 6 and 7, 8, respectively,will always be disposed at the proper distance from glass plates 11.

In the operation of the apparatus, when glass plate 1 1 is fed betweenfeed rollers 18 toward the right, as seen by arrow 13, the air currentdischarged from nozzle 5 blows the washing fiuid off the front edge 19of glass plate 11. As the glass plate 11 further proceeds, the samenozzle 5, and subsequently nozzle 6 as well, blows the air against thelower side 10 of glass plate 11, while the double amount of air is blownby nozzle 7 upon the upper side 12 of glass plate 11 to blow the washingfluid therefrom. After passing nozzles 5, 6, and 7, any water adheringto the rear edge 20 of glass plate 11 will finally be blown off bynozzle 8.

Although my invention has been illustrated and described with referenceto the preferred embodiments thereof, 1 wish to have it understood thatit is in no Way limited to the details of such embodiments, but iscapable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim 1s:

' 1. An apparatus for removing a liquid from non-hygroscopic platescomprising a plurality of feed rollers arranged in pairs verticallyopposite to each other and adapted to engage the upper and lower sidesof a plate to be dried for moving the same in one direction of travel,at least two nozzles at both lateral sides of at least one upper andlower feed roller, one of said upper and lower nozzles being disposedsubstantially vertically to each other and directed at an oblique angleopposite to said direction of travel, the other lower nozzle beingdirected similar to said first two nozzles but spaced from and disposedin front of the first lower nozzle, while the other upper nozzle isdirected at an oblique angle to and in the direction of travel anddisposed behind the first upper nozzle, and means for blowing aircurrents through said nozzles upon said plate.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim '1, in which said lower nozzles aredirected at an angle of about 20 to the vertical in the directionopposite to the direction of travel.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which the first upper nozzleis disposed at an angle of about 20 to the vertical in the directionopposite to the direction of travel.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which the second upper nozzleis disposed at an angle of about 20 to the vertical in the direction oftravel.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which the discharge opening ofthe first upper nozzle has a width substantially twice as large as thatof the discharge openings of the other nozzles so as to allow thepassage of substantially twice the amount of compressed air as saidother nozzles.

6. An apparatus for removing a liquid from non-hygroscopic platescomprising conveying means for moving said plates in one direction oftravel in a substantiially horizontal plane, at least one pair ofnozzles at opposite sides of the plane of travel of each plate anddirected at an oblique angle of approximately therewith and opposite tosaid direction of travel for progressively blowing air currents throughsaid nozzles upon the front edge, the upper and lower surfaces, and therear edge of said plate, and one further nozzle beyond saidfirst-mentioned nozzles in said direction of travel arranged above theplane of travel and directed at an oblique angle with respect theretoand in said direction of travel for blowing liquid from the trailingedge of said plate, said nozzles terminating with their dischargeapertures in close spaced relationship to the surface of the plates fromwhich liquid is to be removed, and means communicating with said nozzlesfor forcing air therethrough at a high velocity for blowing the liquidfrom the surfaces of said plates.

7. An apparatus for removing a liquid from plateshaped non-hygroscopicmaterial comprising a pair of nozzles facing each other, one of saidnozzles being above and the other below a path of travel of saidmaterial, said nozzles being inclined and opposite to the direction oftravel for directing air upon said material to blow liquid from thesurface thereof, a third nozzle arranged in front of said pair ofnozzles below the path of material travel and oriented to blow airobliquely upwardly and in the direction counter to material travel, anda fourth nozzle above the path of material and beyond said pair ofnozzles in the direction of material travel, said last-mentioned nozzlebeing oriented to blow obliquely downwardly and in the direction ofmaterial travel to remove liquid adhering to the rear edge of thematerial, said nozzles terminating with their discharge apertures inclose spaced relationship to the surface of the plate-shaped materialfrom which liquid is to be removed, and means communicating with saidnozzles for forcing air therethrough at a high velocity for blowing theliquid from the surfaces of said plate-shaped material. 1

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the nozzle of said pair ofnozzles which is located above the path of the material and is inclinedin the direction opposite to that of material travel has a dischargearea twice as large as the discharge area of the nozzles arranged belowthe path of the material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS.

1,140,873 Carter May 25, 1915 1,930,575 Wynd et al. Oct. 17, 19332,606,430 Spooner Nov. 10, 1936 2,736,107 Dungler Feb. 28, 1956 FOREIGNPATENTS 1,121,791 France May 7, 1956

